MOSCOW (MRC) -- Braskem says its Braskem Idesa joint venture with the Mexican group Idesa has reached an important milestone with the import of its first ethane from the US, which will be used as feedstock to at the Coatzacoalcos, Mexico, petrochemical complex, as per Chemweek.
Braskem Idesa has spent $4 million on logistics infrastructure and will be able to import up to 12,800 b/d of ethane to the feed the complex. This quantity represents 19% of the company’s 1.05-million metric tons/year steam cracker’s ethane needs.
Braskem said last November that Braskem Idesa is investing in logistics infrastructure to import ethane from the US to increase capacity utilization rate of the Coatzacoalcos steam cracker. The company concluded agreements with Smart Pass, a logistics operator, and with Enestas, a company specializing in cryogenic gas transportation. Smart Pass is responsible for receiving liquid ethane at the docks of the Port of Coatzacoalcos and for unloading it from the vessels in cryogenic tanks. Enestas, meanwhile, transports the ethane by trucks to the petrochemical complex where the ethane will be stored in existing tanks and regasified for use in the production process.
Ethane volumes may eventually reach 25,400 b/d, equivalent to 38% of its annual ethane needs. Braskem Idesa is also assessing the possibility for larger-scale ethane imports and may build a terminal for importing ethane and a pipeline to transport the feedstock to its petrochemical complex.
As MRC informed before, Brazilian petrochemical producer Braskem is no longer pursuing a petrochemical project, which would have included an ethane cracker, in West Virginia, announced the company in April, 2019. And the company has been seeking to sell the land that would have housed the cracker.
Ethylene and propylene are feedstocks for producing polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP).
According to MRC's ScanPlast report, Russia's estimated PE consumption totalled 2,093,260 tonnes in 2019, up by 6% year on year. Shipments of all PE grades increased. PE shipments rose from both domestic producers and foreign suppliers. The estimated PP consumption in the Russian market was 1,260,400 tonnes in January-December 2019, up by 4% year on year. Supply of almost all grades of propylene polymers increased, except for statistical copolymers of propylene (PP random copolymers).
Braskem S.A. produces petrochemicals and generates electricity. The Company produces ethylene, propylene, benzene, toluene, xylenes, butadiene, butene, isoprene, dicyclopentediene, MTBE, caprolactam, ammonium sulfate, cyclohexene, polyethylene theraphtalat, polyethylene, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC).
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